New student housing on the way for Terrace campus of Coast Mountain College

More good news for Coast Mountain College, with the
province of BC ready to spend close to 19 million dollars
on housing for the main Campus in Terrace

108 new beds will be in place hopefully by the fall of 2021, that  as part of a new affordable campus housing project to be built at the Main campus for Coast Mountain College in Terrace.

The new housing plans were announced this morning by Melanie Mark, the Advanced Education, Skills and Training Minister, who was at the Terrace campus today to share the good news and the financial boost from the Provincial government.

Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark in Terrace today
with the provincial announcement of funding for campus housing

"Students should be able to focus on acquiring the skills and training they need to join B.C.'s thriving economy, and not worry about finding a place to live. The new student homes are part of our government's commitment to address a call to action from students, and rural and Indigenous communities in B.C.'s northwest, to create more affordable housing closer to home and lift students up to success."

The housing for the Terrace campus will feature two new three storey 54 bed student housing buildings, which replace the current four building complex that is considered obsolete.

The final tally of the housing availability to come, will make for a net gain of 33 new housing spaces for the students who attend the main campus of the community college system in the Northwest.

In the information statement that accompanied today's announcement Coast Mountain College notes how Improving student housing is a priority for the college, which serves 34 communities, including 21 Indigenous communities.

The new housing project for the Terrace campus was designed with First Nations consultation.

“Students from rural and Indigenous communities will have a safe, comfortable and welcoming home away from home, making it easier for them to concentrate on their studies. We are thrilled to get started on this exciting new project and to welcome more students to Coast Mountain College.” -- Ken Burt President, Coast Mountain College

As for the design and amenities to be included in the new housing for the Terrace campus: Each new building will have accessible communal spaces, such as a student lounge, study space, lounge, Indigenous cultural space and a communal kitchen.

All common areas will be fully accessible and barrier free. The student housing will be more energy efficient, meeting the highest standards, consistent with the Province's long-term climate strategy, CleanBC.

The Provincial government will be picking up 18.7 million dollars of the 19.7 million dollar cost, the remaining one million dollars will come the college.

The shovels will hit the ground in the summer of 2020, with a target of the fall of 2021 for move in day for the students. It is anticipated that the project will generate 50 direct and 48 direct jobs during the course of the fifteen or so months of construction.

The estimated rental  rates for the new campus housing will be well below the market standard at $550 for quad occupancy and $650 for triple occupancy.

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice joined in on the celebrations for the Terrace campus and its new housing plan, calling on some of her past experience as a student to highlight her enthusiasm for today's news.

“The student housing in Terrace has been in a state of disrepair since I was a Coast Mountain College student almost two decades ago. After two years in government, I’m proud to say we’re fixing this. We’re breaking down barriers by investing in students’ success.”

It's been a busy summer for  MLA Rice, who earlier this year travelled east of her North Coast riding to join in the celebrations in Skeena for the new social housing projects that provided for over 100 units to address the housing crisis in the Terrace area.

Over the course of the last year or so, the Terrace region does appear to be quite high on the radar for financial assistance from the NDP government.

In addition to today's funding for the college and the money delivered for housing in recent months, the NDP have also made health care a priority for the Skeena Valley riding, which is currently represented by Liberal MLA Ellis Ross.

The success in health care came in May, when Health Minister Adrian Dix was in the Northwest to announce approval of the business case, for the construction of a brand new Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace.

All of which must be welcome investments for the Terrace City Council which have been strong advocates for gaining funding for the community over the last few years.

More on today's Coast Mountain College news can be found from the college website here.

For more items of interest related to Coast Mountain College, including notes from the Prince Rupert Campus see our archive page here.


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